March 4, 2009

CHICAGO – John Breaux raced to open doors for strangers. He left flowers on the doorsteps of people in need of cheer. He shoveled snow for others, carried grocery bags for shoppers and brought food to people in need.

Not for pay, but out of kindness.

Children called him "Jesus" because of his good deeds and happy-go-lucky manner. Breaux pedaled his bike dozens of miles daily, picking up litter along roadsides in a one-man effort to keep Colorado beautiful.

"He'd appear out of nowhere and pull the weeds from my yard," said Helen MacDonald, 71, a member of Christ the Servant Lutheran Church, Louisville, Colo. "He just loved to help people."

People new to Louisville and nearby Lafayette, the suburban Boulder communities Breaux roamed, mistakenly pegged him as homeless. He sported a bushy beard and tattered clothes. His wide smile revealed missing teeth. He talked fast and slurred his words. Because he picked up trash, he sometimes smelled of trash.

But he won over the leery with acts of kindness fueled by a desire to be like Jesus. Bags of trash routinely dangled from the handlebars of Breaux's bike, which wobbled erratically along the roadways because he liked to wave to everyone.

Many people feared a vehicle might hit him one day. They equipped him with a helmet and reflective gear. Others bought him new clothes to wear, but he almost always gave them to someone he thought needed them more. Locals share endless stories of Breaux's selfless acts, such as the time a church member handed him $50. Instead of keeping it, Breaux tossed the money into the offering plate.

"He just didn't seem to have the kind of ego that the rest of us have," said Gay Lynn Olsen, a member of Christ the Servant Lutheran who lived across the street from Breaux. "He didn't need anything from the rest of us. He just joyfully went around doing his service. He happily enjoyed the present moment, riding his bike with a big grin on his face."

Doctors diagnosed Breaux with paranoid schizophrenia in his 20s, according to the Boulder Daily Camera. After his parents died in 2000, he moved to Colorado to live with a brother, who told the newspaper that Breaux stopped taking the drugs and "blossomed."

Breaux loved Jesus, bowling, biking and the Beatles, the paper said. When he found illustrations of Jesus in the trash, he'd clean them up and give them to children. He also loved to visit area churches.

"He disarmed people because he just wanted to make them happy," said Keith Seifert, also of Christ the Servant. "John was the person who walked the countryside. He was very much like Jesus. He lived the Golden Rule. He was a ‘Good Samaritan.'"

The suburban communities honored Breaux many times for his generosity. But now townspeople are in mourning.

Breaux died Jan. 30 after a being struck by a vehicle that veered off the highway. He had gotten off of his bicycle to pick up cans and pull weeds along the roadside. Police arrested the driver, a 62-year-old woman taking prescription drugs for dementia.

News of Breaux's death spread quickly. Hundreds flocked to the site to leave balloons, flowers and other memorials. Dozens turned out for an impromptu memorial bike ride.

Thousands of dollars in donations are now pouring in across the city to erect a permanent memorial. The Elks are hosting a benefit breakfast in March. Others are joining together to pick up trash along the roadsides.

"Everybody in town knew and loved John Breaux," said the Rev. Joel K. Brandt, a pastor of Christ the Servant. The congregation hosted Breaux's visitation service though he wasn't a member.

"He was an unlikely role model who demonstrated how people can make a big difference in the world by living out their faith," Brandt said.

Nearly 2,000 people attended Breaux's funeral service at a nearby church. Some rode bikes to the service, then to the cemetery. The burial service ended with everyone waving goodbye to the man who loved to wave hello.

Valorie Sundby, a 48-year-old Lutheran, donated to the Breaux memorial fund. He greeted her many days at a local coffee shop, where he loved to serve as a doorman.

"We're going to miss him so much," she said. "He taught all of us to always be mindful that we are examples of God's love."

ELCA News Service